Praise in the Midst of Difficulty

Praise in the Midst of Difficulty

In the midst of Barbara’s debilitating illness and the deterioration it brings, we want to continue to follow Habakkuk’s example in Habakkuk 3:17-19

“Though the fig tree does not bud

and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls,

YET I will rejoice in the LORD, (Yahweh)

I will be joyful in God (Elohim) my Savior.

The Sovereign (Adonai) LORD is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to go on the heights.”

I choose to rejoice in you, Lord, for you are good always, you are the source of our joy–not our having things go right. I praise you for what you are going to do in this situation, Lord. I can let go of the negatives and cling to you. I praise you for what you are doing, for what you are planning, for what you will work out, as you did with Joseph in all he suffered.

Help us all to respond as he did, bringing glory to your name, and healing to our souls. I thank you for the unseen things you are going to accomplish through this, for the good that you will draw out. I ask for your guidance in what I should do to join your purposes.

Lord Jesus, you are the Wonderful One, full of wisdom, grace, righteousness, mercy, justice, goodness and power. You are the One who can overrule in any situation you desire. You could have worked this illness out otherwise, but you allowed or guided things in this direction, so we choose to trust you and to look at the bigger picture.

Lord, to belong to you, to be your possession, to personally know you is wonderful. Blessed is too mild a word! To know that you chose us, wanted us as your people, sought us out, bought us, adopted us, transformed us, and that you love us and cherish us—this is marvelous! It is more than we could ever have hoped for, especially in the light of what we actually deserve (punishment, rejection, suffering, eternal separation from you and all that is good).

So we choose to trust you through praise, knowing that you have laid out the race before us, empowering us to run with perseverance and patience, looking to you, the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that as we look ahead to the joy you have for us, we can endure whatever cross you give us, for we will be seated with you in heavenly places (Heb. 12:1-3).